Full Shopify Theme Rebuild from Finished UI | SEO-Preserving, GitHub Workflow

About Us We are a Japan-based jewelry brand operating on Shopify. We are planning a full renewal of our entire Shopify site, covering desktop, tablet, and mobile. The UI designs for both desktop and mobile are already complete. We will also provide the brand direction, font rules, copy, images, and reference materials. This is not a project to design new UI/UX. The main goal is to implement finished UI data onto Shopify accurately and to a high standard. After the renewal, our in-house team will use AI coding tools such as Claude Code to continuously improve the theme. For that reason, the theme must be: - Easy to understand structurally - Properly split into components - Consistent in naming conventions - Well documented - Safe for us to modify in-house - Free of dependence on the original developer Preserving our current SEO is also a critical, non-negotiable condition of launch. The renewal must not unintentionally break existing URLs, meta information, canonical tags, crawl/index settings, structured data, heading structure, internal links, or the content that supports our search traffic. This project will be contracted as fixed price per milestone. Please quote each milestone separately. Project Goals - Accurately implement the finished desktop and mobile UI data onto Shopify - Renew the entire Shopify site, including desktop, tablet, and mobile - Preserve Shopify products, content, apps, analytics, SEO, and e-commerce functionality - Build reusable Online Store 2.0 sections and blocks - Leave the site in a state where our in-house team can safely and easily modify it using Claude Code - Prevent any technical SEO regression caused by the renewal - Establish a safe development and deployment flow using GitHub Milestone 1: Technical Audit, SEO Baseline, and GitHub Setup Before development begins, audit the current state of the Shopify theme and site. Scope of work: - Audit the current Shopify theme, templates, scripts, theme app extensions, tracking, and key functionality across the site - Identify legacy code, duplicate tracking, app dependencies, and implementation risks - Recommend whether to modify and reuse the current theme, build on a new Online Store 2.0 theme, or take another approach - Create or organize a GitHub repository for the Shopify theme - Connect an unpublished development theme to a GitHub working branch - Disable direct pushes to the main branch and require Pull Requests - Record the current key functionality and page speed - Crawl the current live site as fully as possible and establish an SEO baseline - Record current URLs, status codes, titles, meta descriptions, canonicals, robots settings, H1s, structured data, important internal links, hreflang, and index status - Document the SEO behaviors that must be preserved after the renewal - Produce an implementation plan before development starts Acceptance criteria: - The technical audit results and implementation plan have been delivered - GitHub and the unpublished Shopify development theme are correctly connected - Direct pushes to the main branch are disabled - Current functionality, apps, tracking, and external integrations are documented - SEO and page-speed baselines are recorded Milestone 2: Full Renewal for Desktop, Tablet, and Mobile This milestone is the core of the project. Implement the finished UI data as a high-quality Shopify theme using Liquid, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. This is not a job to conceive new UI; it is a job to turn finished designs into code. The desktop version is a formal deliverable. Do not simply stretch the mobile version sideways into a desktop screen. Complete every target page for both desktop and mobile. For tablet, define and verify an appropriate presentation. Site-wide implementation: fonts, colors, spacing, grid, content width, buttons, forms, icons, image ratios and image presentation, animation and transitions, header, navigation, announcement area, search, mobile menu, footer, Japanese and English font settings, responsive support for desktop/tablet/mobile, keyboard operation, appropriate labels and focus states, basic accessibility support. Target pages and features: - Homepage - Collection pages, product listing, filtering, sorting, pagination or load-more - Product pages: images and media gallery, regular and sale pricing, variants, quantity selection, in-stock/out-of-stock display, add to cart, product information, related products - Search functionality and search results page - Cart drawer or cart page: quantity changes, item removal, proceed to checkout - Standard content pages (About, guides, policies, FAQ, contact) - 404 page - Any other pages included in the finally approved UI data Implementation rules: - Faithfully implement the provided desktop and mobile UI - Do not change layout, fonts, components, or interactions without written approval - Use Shopify's dynamic data and theme editor settings - Do not hard-code products, prices, collections, URLs, or campaign content without approval - Preserve existing products, variants, collections, navigation, and Shopify data - Preserve or correctly reconnect approved theme app blocks - Preserve existing analytics and ad tracking, without duplicating events - Optimize images, fonts, CSS, and JavaScript - Do not add unnecessary frameworks or paid apps - Perform all work on branches and an unpublished development theme - Submit all theme code via Pull Request Claude Code-friendly structure: After the renewal, our in-house team must be able to manage and modify the theme using Claude Code. Requirements: - Use clear, consistent file names - Standardize naming conventions for templates, sections, blocks, snippets, assets, settings, CSS classes, and JavaScript modules - Split functionality into appropriate units and build reusable components - Do not combine unrelated features into a single huge file - Do not duplicate the same logic in multiple places - Do not create obscure hidden dependencies or unnecessary global state - Do not use obfuscated, minified, or hard-to-edit proprietary code - Where possible, separate configuration, appearance, and behavior - Add concise comments for complex Liquid and critical external integrations - Organize theme editor settings clearly - Set up Shopify Theme Check and provide formatting and validation commands - Create a CLAUDE.md at the repository root documenting: overall theme structure, key files, naming conventions, local development, commands to run, how to verify after changes, how to create a Pull Request, how to preview, how to deploy, how to roll back, external integrations to protect, SEO rules, common modification procedures, and files/settings that must not be changed without additional review A new Claude Code session should be able to read the repository and make small changes without relying on information known only to the original developer. Milestone 2 acceptance criteria: - All agreed pages are implemented in line with the provided desktop and mobile UI - They display correctly on desktop, tablet, and mobile - Desktop content width, line length, spacing, image sizes, and overall composition are appropriate - Agreed content can be changed from the theme editor without editing code - Product variants, cart, discounts, stock display, and proceed-to-checkout all work correctly - Approved existing apps and external integrations work - No critical errors in Liquid, Theme Check, browser console, responsive display, or accessibility - Claude Code or the in-house team can run the validation commands - One can read the documentation and, on a branch, make a small change, validate, preview, open a Pull Request, and roll back - No significant page-speed regression without approval Technical SEO requirements: Wherever possible, keep the currently published URLs exactly as they are. Do not change product handles, collection handles, page URLs, template URLs, or important navigation paths without written approval. Preserve or correctly improve: page titles, meta descriptions, canonical tags, robots settings, Shopify sitemap compatibility, Search Console ownership verification, hreflang where applicable, product/breadcrumb/organization structured data, image alt attributes, breadcrumbs, heading structure, important internal links, content for searchable products/collections/pages, social/SNS meta information, page speed, and Core Web Vitals. Output SEO-critical content as server-rendered HTML where necessary. Do not create a structure in which SEO-critical information appears only after user interaction or unstable JavaScript execution. If URL changes are approved: create a before/after URL mapping table, set up permanent redirects, test all redirects, prevent redirect chains, prevent broken links. Milestone 3: Content Setup, SEO Verification, Launch, and Rollback Scope of work: - Apply the final copy, images, navigation, and section settings - Verify representative products, collections, standard pages, sale items, out-of-stock items, and product variants - Test on iOS Safari, Android Chrome, desktop Chrome, and desktop Safari - Verify links, forms, search, cart, discounts, app blocks, customer accounts, consent settings, analytics, and proceed-to-checkout - Run Shopify Theme Check - Crawl and compare the pre-renewal and post-renewal sites; explain all SEO-significant differences before launch - Confirm that existing indexed URLs return the intended status codes - Check for broken links and redirect chains - Verify canonical tags and robots settings; confirm there is no unintended noindex or resource blocking - Validate existing structured data - Verify meta information, sitemap, Search Console, and hreflang - Complete a pre-launch checklist and fix all launch-blocking issues - Create launch and rollback procedures - Launch only after our written approval - Monitor the site immediately after launch Milestone 3 acceptance criteria: - A final QA report has been delivered - All launch-blocking issues are resolved - There are no unexplained SEO-significant differences - URLs, meta information, canonicals, headings, structured data, and important internal links have not been unintentionally lost - Orders and analytics continue to work after launch - If a problem occurs, the site can be reverted to the previous stable theme - Launch is achieved without causing unexpected downtime Milestone 4: Final Handover for Operation with Claude Code Scope of work: - Complete CLAUDE.md and the repository documentation - Confirm that the in-house team can make modifications using Claude Code - Actually perform a representative small change and verify the flow from modification through pre-launch verification - Include in the handover materials: overall theme structure, key files, how to set up the local development environment, how to load the correct information into Claude Code, how to safely carry out common theme modifications, verification required before launch, external integrations that must be protected, rules for not breaking SEO, branch and Pull Request workflow, how to preview and deploy, how to roll back, how to use the theme editor, known limitations, how to diagnose problems if they occur - Deliver documentation with video or screenshots (a real-time call is not required) Milestone 4 acceptance criteria: - The repository is organized and the documentation is complete - CLAUDE.md and the validation commands are complete - Without relying on the original developer, our in-house team can perform representative modifications using Claude Code - The procedures for modification, validation, preview, Pull Request, launch, and rollback are clear What We Provide - The current Shopify store and theme - The finished desktop and mobile UI data - Brand direction and font rules - Final copy and images - Current products, collections, navigation, and pages - Development rules and pre-launch checklist - Required access to Shopify, GitHub, GA4, and Search Console - Prompt asynchronous responses during Japan business hours - Consolidated feedback from a single decision-maker Working Rules - Do not edit the live theme directly; work on branches and an unpublished development theme - Submit all theme code via Pull Request - Do not change checkout, payment, shipping, tax, or customer account settings without written approval - Do not add paid apps or subscription services without approval - Do not remove existing external integrations until you have explained the impact and obtained approval - Do not copy other parties' proprietary code without a valid license - Do not store customer data, passwords, secret keys, or other confidential information in the repository Out of Scope Unless Separately Agreed in Writing UI/UX design, brand strategy, logo creation, product photography, photo retouching, video production, copywriting, new Shopify apps, backend system development, new SEO content strategy, keyword research, backlink work, guarantees of specific search rankings, checkout development beyond the current Shopify plan, new ERP/inventory/CRM/shipping/marketplace integrations. Maintaining technical SEO and preventing SEO regression caused by the renewal are included in this project. Requirements - 3+ years of experience building and maintaining Shopify Online Store 2.0 themes - Proficiency in Liquid, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript - Experience accurately implementing finished UI onto Shopify - Experience with responsive desktop and mobile implementation - Experience testing on iOS Safari - Experience with Shopify's GitHub integration and Pull Request workflow - Experience preserving theme app extensions and existing tracking - Knowledge of Shopify page speed, accessibility, SEO, and Theme Check - Experience preserving technical SEO during a Shopify renewal - Experience verifying URLs, redirects, canonicals, meta information, robots, structured data, internal links, and crawl/index status - Ability to produce maintainable code and documentation for an in-house team using tools such as Claude Code - Ability to communicate asynchronously in written English Nice to Have - Experience with fashion, jewelry, luxury, or editorial e-commerce - Experience implementing Japanese or CJK fonts - Experience collaborating with teams that use AI coding tools Schedule and Contract - Fixed price per milestone; quote M1, M2, M3, and M4 separately - Target completion of roughly 3-5 weeks after UI data and content are provided - Before contracting, state any conditions that could change the quote - The final fixed price will be set based on a confirmed list of pages and templates - After completion, we may separately contract ongoing Pull Request review and maintenance How to Apply Start your proposal with the word "STIRRUP." Then include: 1. Two Shopify sites where you personally implemented a large-scale theme renewal 2. What you were responsible for in each project 3. An example of accurately implementing desktop and mobile from provided UI data 4. A project using Shopify's GitHub integration and Pull Requests 5. A Shopify renewal where you preserved technical SEO, and the verification you performed before and after launch 6. How you would structure and document the repository so we can safely maintain it with Claude Code 7. Your fixed quote for each of M1, M2, M3, and M4 8. Your estimated time to completion and earliest possible start date 9. The assumptions included in your quote and the items out of scope We will prioritize proposals that are short, specific, and backed by relevant work. Please, no generic agency pitches. We prefer to contract directly with the individual developer who will actually do the work.